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Apr 30 2019

CrossFit Gymnastics Coach Course

Easter weekend didn’t involve enough chocolate for me (I will catch up now I’m home don’t worry!)

Instead I spent the weekend in South Wales at CrossFit ION on a course to become a qualified CrossFit Gymnastics Coach.

The knowledge bombs were dropping like the Blitz and the gym was full of athletes and coaches who started the weekend feeling strong and competent in their movements and left broken but inspired to take their new skills back to their boxes.

So what did I learn? Well, way too much to fit into one blog post..

So I’ll focus on the two most important.

Firstly –

Doing away with ‘Rx’d’ when it comes to training gymnastics movements. If we focus on hitting the official Rx’d standards in our general workouts we compromise proper movement. Yes we may get our toes to touch the bar for toes to bar, or our chin over the bar for a pull-up, and we may well be able to get through a load in a workout, but will this help us improve in the long run? Hell no! Are we moving efficiently and with the correct movement patterns? Most likely not! As coaches, we need to celebrate our athletes achievements of their first toes-to-bar/pull-up/muscle-up just like we would a back squat PR, but not let that follow by ‘Rx’d’ movements with shitty form. If an athlete hit a back squat PR but only just making depth, we would still encourage deeper squats in training.

A number of cues and movement progressions went into a black box to throw out of our coaches bag of tricks and never spoken of again. These included things taught on the level 1 CrossFit course and on the gymnastics course from a few years ago. Why? Because our knowledge is constantly evolving. Not just the coaches in your local box, but the big dogs too! Jeff Tucker, head of CrossFit Gymnastics, adapts the course to grow with his knowledge. Level 1 courses are great but they only have a short amount of time to teach a lot of movements. The more time we have to drill into movements the more specific we can be with how and what we teach.

Let use toes to bar for example. Everyone knows the end goal is to touch both feet to the bar at the same time. This is easier to achieve by aggressively kipping, pulling back on the bar and driving our legs up to get that contact, followed by an aggressive drive back with the legs to cycle into a big arch for the next rep.

However, this switches a core exercise to a back exercise shifting the focus onto your lats and shoulders. If we lose our ego and are honest with ourselves about our abilities we perform scaled down versions of the same movement. The focus is now on a hollow core, a solid arch and only working to a level where those perfect positions are maintained throughout.

I quickly found I cannot perform ‘Rx’d’ toes to bar. I will no longer be performing official ‘Rx’d’ toes to bar until I can do using the correct movement patterns. This may take a little while, but I have drawn myself up a new core programme, I have all the skills and drills to help me develop and the determination to keep working on these progressions until I can. Virtuosity is key.

Another part of the weekend that blew my mind was the bar muscle ups. A movement I’ve avoided for a long time due to fear of falling forward over the bar. A fear I now know was completely legitimate. If you aggressively pull your hips to the bar, then throw yourself forward over the bar the only way you are going to go is forward. It’s simple physics. The same goes for ring muscle ups. Throwing yourself threw the rings is likely to end in falling forward through the rings. If you remain hollow in your kip, push down on the bar to bring your hips up, a slight pull in once shoulders have passed the hands to then push down on the bar the only way you are going to go is up! Makes sense right?

If you see me cheating on my movements you have full permission to kick me!

Secondly –

The importance of a solid hollow position. A hollow body gives us the ability to transfer the energy required of a movement correctly from core to extremity. If we’re soft through our midline our movements will be soft and lacking.

CrossFit Gymnastics Coach Birdy

You may be able to perform handstand push-ups or multiple kipping pull-ups without a solid midline relying on shoulder strength, but how soon will that strength burn out? How long until you’re out of training for 6+ weeks with a torn rotator cuff or shoulder impingement?

If we lose our midline on a heavy squat we will crumble under the bar. Maintain tension through the core keeps the body strong, keeps the bar rising and makes the lift easier. The same goes for gymnastics.

Keep the arc of your kip tight; toes pointed, legs long, feet squeezed together, butt squeezed, tension on the bar. Use that elastic energy to rebound back into the hollow for the next rep.

When the muscles works in unison every movement is more efficient and every rep takes a little less energy.

Don’t be too proud to go back to basics. It will pay dividends in the long run!

Contact me now if you would like to book 1-2-1 sessions with a qualified CrossFit Gymnastics Coach!

 

Written by nimbaz · Categorized: Uncategorized

Apr 24 2019

Could you pass the new Military Fitness Test?

Could you pass the new military fitness test to join the Armed Forces?

It’s been twenty years since the military fitness test / physical employment standards (PES) to join the Armed Forces have been updated. That doesn’t mean they haven’t been thinking about it for some time. The new standards came into play at the beginning of the month (April 2019)

“These new physical fitness standards are objective, measurable, role-related and gender-free to ensure Army personnel have the physical capability to meet the necessary force preparation and operational requirements.”

The new tests are designed to replicate combat roles and mimic real life tasks carried out by the armed forces.

From the UK Defence Journal, they consist of:

A 4km march carrying 40kg of equipment in less than 40 minutes. Followed by a 2km march carrying 25kg of equipment in under 15 minutes.

Complete a fire and move exercise in less than five minutes. Followed by a 20m drag of a 110kg weight.

Carry two water cans weighing 22kg each over 240m in under four minutes. Followed by lifting a 70kg weight and holding it for three seconds.

Finally soldiers will have to carry bags weighing 20kg 20 times over a distance of 30m and place them on 1.4m platforms.

All if this is performed back to back over a three hour session.

The standards are no longer age or gender related. Everyone is required to be up to the same level when it comes to their physical abilities.

This makes sense to me, the enemy doesn’t care or necessarily know what age or gender you are. This also coincides with women now being able to join any and all roles withing the forces including the marines and the SAS. Applications opened in October with new recruits starting basic training from April 2019.

So what do you need to ensure you meet the required PES?

The weighted 4km march followed by a 2km march requires a decent level of cardiovascular fitness. Walking 1km every 10 minutes will require maintaining a fairly moderate pace. Easy enough without carrying roughly half your body weight on your back. A strong pair of legs and glutes will help with the walking speed and a strong core will keep the load from crippling your back.

The second part of this test requires you to up the pace on fatigued legs. Completing a further 2km at a pace of 7.5 minutes per km but with a 15kg drop in load. This is where you need to be able to find your happy place, dig in and pick up the pace to the finish. Training on the rowing machine will be useful to help to build the legs and core up while working on your cardiovascular endurance.

 

The fire and move exercises is where agility comes in to play. You will need to be able to change direction quickly and get off the ground straight into a 15m sprint. SAQ (Speed, Agility, Quickness) training will come in handy for this phase. This aims to improve your multi-directional movement and reprograms neuromuscular systems which will help to prevent injuries such as twisted ankles and knee injuries during these tasks.

This drill is followed by a 20m drag of 110kg to simulate coming up against enemy fire and removing injured parties from the situation. It doesn’t matter if you weigh 100kg or 50kg, the injured party still needs your assistance! Building strong quads, hamstrings and glutes is beneficial for this. Exercises should include; back squats, front squats, good mornings, weighted glute bridges as well as of course practicing the weighted drag itself.

For the third section, a weighted farmer carry with 22kg in each hand simulates carrying a person on a stretcher. The upper back and shoulders play a big part in the stretcher carry so working on building strength and endurance of those is important. Presses over head, lat-pull downs and pull ups, flies and incline presses should be added to your training program to strengthen these as well as working on your grip strength as 240m in under 4 minutes does limit the amount of times you can put the weight down to readjust your grip.

Image result for soldier conditioning review changes uk

Working on your deadlifts is obviously imperative for the second phase of this test, although if you have been working towards all of the above the deadlift shouldn’t be too much of a challenge. A bodyweight deadlift should be fairly easily achievable for most with a little bit of training. At 70kg that will be below the majority of participants bodyweight.

 

Finally, repeated weighted carries over a 30m distance. This I assume is designed to really push you at the end of a grueling test of strength and endurance. This comes at the very end of the test. You will be fatigued and the bags will be awkward to carry without handles. This may also test your patience to see who can stay calm when the going gets tough. The trick is to find a stable place to load the bags, most likely over shoulder. Be sure to keep swapping sides each time to stay balanced. Hugging the bag in front will be the most challenging way of carrying these as the weight will pull on your lower back. Learning to clean and jerk odd objects will help with getting the bags on to the 1.4m platform at the other end.

 

This test is a much closer representation of the roles actually carried out by the forces. WO1 Gavin Paton, the Field Army Sergeant Major, is quoted saying: “I’ve got plenty of combat experience. I’ve never done a sit-up on the battlefield, but I have dragged casualties. I’ve never done a push-up on the battlefield, but I have been expected to lift and carry repeatedly.”

Image result for military training push ups british army

If you are thinking of signing up but worried about passing the physical employment standards I can help! Together we can build on the strength and cardiovascular endurance needed to go into the test confident in your abilities and crushing the time caps! Drop me a message now to get started. https://discoverpersonaltraining.co.uk/

 

If you are already in the military you will know about the updates to the Annual Fitness Test. I will cover in another post.

 

 

 

 

 

Written by nimbaz · Categorized: Uncategorized

Aug 22 2016

Olympic Lifting in Pregnancy?

Many people do carry on Olympic lifting in pregnancy.

As with every kind of training when pregnant it is down to personal preference.

My preference has been to stop Olympic lifting with a barbell at 10/11 weeks.

I am already showing so there is the obvious risk of pulling the bar into my ever growing belly.

People who do carry on say that you adjust to the bump as it grows over time and get used to going around it. My main problem is this.. I have spend two years working on my technique with my clean and snatch; getting a good banana on, making contact my with hips, keeping the bar close and speed under the bar etc. I am just now getting comfortable and getting some decent weight on my clean but my snatch is still a working process.

IMG_6431-0

 

In a seminar I attended with weightlifting coach Kazem Panjavi he used a cue of telling people ‘how many months pregnant’ they were based on how far the bar travelled away from them on the way up.

IMG_6837

 

I personally do not want to spend the next 7 months undoing all the hard work of the last 2 years, which I will have to spend time correcting once the baby is here.

I am also finding that as I start producing more relaxin (the hormone that helps to relax the muscles and ligaments in preparation for your body growing and labour) my once extremely tight shoulders and upper back are now loosening off and I don’t feel as stable pulling a bar over head, at speed, in a wide snatch grip position. Narrow grip pressing and jerks feel fine, and wide grip for overhead squats are ok as the bar goes up slower and is easier to stabilise once up.

I have been working some snatch balance in the last few weeks to work on my speed under the bar but I am slowly losing confidence with them as my shoulders become more unstable. I will be sticking to overhead squats from now on I think.

There are of course other options like using dumbells or kettlebells for these movements. This will negate the problem of pulling a bar into/around a bump. I will still be cautious and start very light when performing snatches as the instability could end up pulling my shoulder out or tearing something nasty.

Written by Dominic Vermeulen-Smith · Categorized: CrossFit first trimester, CrossFit Pregnancy, CrossFit Second Trimester, Olympic Lifting, Weightlifting pregnant · Tagged: cleans, oly lifting, olympic lifting, olympic lifting pregnant, snatches, weightlifting, weightlifting pregnant

Aug 22 2016

Handstand Push-ups while Pregnant

Another movement with mixed reviews is performing handstand push-ups while pregnant.

I have looked into it a lot and always find conflicting theories. None of which seem all that scientific, but I guess that is the way it goes with pregnancy as it is deemed unethical to test on pregnant women, for obvious reasons.

The main point against handstand push-ups (HSPU’s) I found were:

  • Risk of falling
  • Elevated blood volume so higher risk of dizzy spells and fainting
  • Too much abdominal pressure
  • Risk of the cord wrapping around the babies neck
  • Risk in the first trimester as attachment of the embryo is still occurring.

Mainly what I read from CrossFitters was to carry on if you have done them in the past and are competent getting up and down from the wall safely and if they feel ok. Fine, I am confident kicking up and coming down from a wall (free standing handstands/handstand walking is a completely different ball game for me. ALWAYS end up flat on my back no matter how many time I learn to bail out correctly!)


(13+4 weeks. 2 strict & 2 kipping)

They have always been one of my strengths and a movement I really enjoyed so I was desperate to keep them in my workouts.

The first trimester I was gutted. They made me feel shit, just one would send my head and stomach spinning. Even though the first trimester was basically a write off anyway, I probably did a total of 5 HSPU in 10 weeks.

By week 11 I was feeling better; more in control of my body, less/no nausea, less fatigue so clearer head (baby brain is REAL!! And completely different to tired brain fog!).

I decided to give HSPU another go. I had learnt about the benefits of inversions in yoga and figured aside from the pressing action, which is really not much different to a strict/push press, HSPU must carry some of the same benefits.

Here are some of the benefits I found while researching:

From Geeta Iyengar’s Yoga: a Gem for Women and David Coulter’s Anatomy of Hatha Yoga.

Sirsasana (Headstands)

  • Ensures proper blood circulation to the uterus
  • Creates space in the pelvic cavity for the baby to move around
  • Relieves venous pressure in the legs, which may relieve and prevent varicose veins
  • Promotes hormonal balance by increasing blood flow to the head and neck. This is especially good for the thyroid gland, as a deficiency in thyroid hormone can lead to miscarriage.

As far as the chord being wrapped around the babies neck; as many as 25-40% of babies are born with the chord wrapped around the neck. One of the first thing the midwife will do once the head is out is to check the chord is free, and if not they will slip a finger under and pull it back over the head. Oxygen is supplied from the umbilical chord inside the womb not through the trachea. 

I completed a workout today (13+4 weeks) which included 30 HSPU’s. I had to break them up into 3 sets of 10 as they are tougher now I’m heavier, but otherwise felt good and resting on my head was quite refreshing! The only alteration I am making is to go a little wider with my knees on the kip to accommodate an ever growing bump. 

I will keep updating this post as I progress through my pregnancy as things may change, but for now handstand push-ups are back in 😀 

Written by Dominic Vermeulen-Smith · Categorized: CrossFit first trimester, CrossFit Pregnancy, CrossFit Second Trimester, Handstand push-ups when pregnant, HSPU pregnant, Pre-natal CrossFit · Tagged: crossfit, crossfitmum, crossfitting when pregnant, handstand push-ups pregnant, handstand pushups, hspu, inversions pregnant, pregnancy, pregnant crossfit, prenatal training

Aug 22 2016

Out of the game :( Competitive CrossFit while pregnant

Recieved some disappointing news yesterday.

After completing three online qualifying workouts team Big Bitch Little Bitch (the beautiful Jo Gamblin – aka Gambo, aka Childish Gambino, aka Head Bitch and I) had qualified to compete at the first Double Impact competition. A same sex pairs comp open to national and international Crossfitters but held at the Mount Battern Centre running track in Portsmouth. Run by local coaches I know and respect, with teams made up of close friends including my sister and my first time on a running track since my far from sporty school days. I was excited!

Gambo was one of the first to find out about my pregnancy and Double Impact soon came into question. Deciding we would just have a bit of fun would take each WOD as it came we were set on remaining in the competition.

With 3 weeks to go all the WODs had been released. The first – 400m run each, then 30 clean and jerks @ 40kg and 30 toes to bar, split as we liked. The run I was a little apprehensive about as I knew we were in a heat with some excellent runners (Gemma Legs Green for one!) but comfortable with the C & J and T2B. Pull-ups and dips may be harder with 6kg extra bodyweight but bar work is feeling a lot stronger!

The second WOD was a max weight complex of 1 clean, 2 hang cleans, 3 shoulder to over heads, 4 front squat, 2 hang cleans, 3 shoulder to over head, 4 front squats – without dropping the bar. Your score is the combined max weight of your team. Fine, I could go lighter and we could still set a decent score as Gambo is a powerhouse!

The third – 10metre sprint, 50 Russian kettlebell swings, 10m sprint, 50 overhead lunges, 10m sprint, 50 down ups, 10m sprint, 50 butterfly sit-ups, 10m sprint, 50 box jumps, 50m partner carry. It looked SO MUCH FUN!! The first three exercises would be no problems, sit-ups – Gambo could easily smash out 50, box jumps – sure they’d let me step-up, partner carry – I’d carry Gambo to save pressure on my belly. I’ve carried Dave ‘Green Machine’ about 300m before weighing in at 92kg so know 50m with Gambo would be easy enough.

All apprehensions were gone, I was pumped for a fun day.

Then came the email..

I had emailed the organisers as I thought they might want to know in advance I would be 15 weeks pregnant by comp time, incase they wanted us in a different heat or I needed a different waiver etc. Didnt hear anything so assumed all was fine.

No news is not always good news.

The delay in reply was down to them struggling to decide if I should be allows to compete. They concluded the answer was no 🙁 Gutted!

Nothing against them at all! I do completely understand where they are coming from. They don’t want to risk me doing any damage to myself or the baby, I may not be covered in their event insurance, and they have put a lot of work into organising this, they probably want everyone to take it seriously. Absolutely no beef 🙂

That doesn’t mean I won’t be sad to be sat on the side lines!

I’m sure some will call me irresponsible for even considering it. Non-Crossfitters may look at the workouts and be disgusted a pregnant woman would ever put herself in that position. But I know myself, I know my capabilities and I know that these workouts were within limitations when pregnant.

I should mention I had already qualified for and pulled out of Pound for Pound, a singles competition where weights are based on your bodyweight. As a 5ft (previously) 55kg CrossFitter I am strong for my size. This would have been a good comp for me, however there was no partner to take some of the load and it was a comp I wanted to take seriously. I didn’t think it would be responsible to take part in this one – not to mention I am now 61kg so all lifts would be heavier 😛

Spectating at Double Impact will be tough. I’ll be gagging to get on the track, but I will sit there with my pom-poms, cheer on my fellow athletes and eat some self-pitying cake.

I would like to add a public apology to Gambo for my inconsiderate timing in getting knocked up.

Written by Dominic Vermeulen-Smith · Categorized: CrossFit Pregnancy, Pre-natal CrossFit · Tagged: crossfit, crossfit competition, crossfitting when pregnant, pregnancy, pregnant crossfit, second trimester

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Naomi Bazeley

Naomi is a Level 3 Personal Trainer, CrossFit Level 2 Trainer and Level 1 British Weightlifting Instructor. If you are looking for one on one coaching, nutritional advice or you are interested in getting in to CrossFit or Olympic Weightlifting, Naomi can work with you to help you to achieve your goals. I take huge pride in taking people from complete beginner, terrified to step foot into a gym, to athletic warrior who can't wait to beat their next challenge. Every journey has to begin somewhere.

Contact

07950 471 010
[email protected]
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